David Kyle – Hootsuite Social Media Managementhttps://blog.hootsuite.com
Engage, Monitor, Collaborate and Analyze, SecurelyThu, 24 May 2018 09:15:35 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.47 Hootsuite Features You Need To Knowhttps://blog.hootsuite.com/7-hootsuite-features-need-know/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/7-hootsuite-features-need-know/#respondMon, 23 Jun 2014 11:00:52 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=62420Hootsuite is a robust tool for managing a number of social media channels. The dashboard is updated multiple times a week to provide the best functionality for listening... Read More

]]>Hootsuite is a robust tool for managing a number of social media channels. The dashboard is updated multiple times a week to provide the best functionality for listening and engaging on social media. With so many useful features to choose from, it’s understandable that some get overlooked. We’ve compiled a list of great features that might not be on your radar and will help you get the most out of Hootsuite.

Geosearch

If you want to find out what people are saying about a topic in a certain area, grab the latitude and longitude marker of the location you have in mind, and enter a search query following this format: [geocode]:[latitude and longitude coordinates],[radius of search area].

For instance if I want to know what people are saying about the Opera House within 25 kilometres of Sydney, Australia, use this search term when setting up a stream in Hootsuite: opera house geocode:-33.85,151.21,25km.

Filter by Klout

If you want to know what influencers are saying about something you’re interested in, you can filter by Klout score from Hootsuite. This is handy when lots of people are talking about something but you want to hear from the most trusted advisors of that topic.

Lists

Twitter is a fantastic resource with a wealth of information on nearly every topic imaginable. Along with that information comes some noise. I follow over 1100 people and brands on Twitter, and miss a lot of updates simply due to the volume. Many people follow thousands more people than 1100, so imagine the noise level on their home feeds.

You can categorize who you follow by using the Hootsuite ‘list’ function. I recommend breaking your community into verticals. I’m really interested in sports, music and travel, so when I follow someone new that fits into one of those categories, I add them to my corresponding list.

Hootlet

Sometimes when you’re reading online and you discover something you want to to share with your followers, you want to just keep reading without leaving the browser window you’re in. Hootsuite has a fast and easy solution. With the Hootlet, you can click one Chrome extension and share to any social network connected to Hootsuite. It will also write a post that you can keep or edit to your liking before publishing.

Suggested Content

Keeping your followers engaged is one of the biggest challenges on social media. You need to post interesting content, regularly. Hootsuite recently released a Suggested Content (BETA) feature that curates content and posts it to your social networks. The groundbreaking part of this feature is its ability to remember what you’ve posted in the past and, using that history, suggest relevant content for you to post. Furthermore, the more you use Suggested Content, the more it learns about what content you like to share. Using Hootsuite’s Suggested Content will make keeping your followers engaged easy.

Drag and drop

To make organizing lists easier, you can drag and drop profiles from one search stream into another in the Hootsuite dashboard. This is one of Hootsuite’s best-kept secrets.

The App Directory

While not a standalone feature or specific to our Twitter integration, the App Directory houses all of Hootsuite’s integrations. From social networks like Foursquare and Instagram to analytic apps like YouTube Analytics Free and uberVU, exploring the more than 100 applications in the App Directory will improve your use of Hootsuite.

If you have any questions about Hootsuite and its features, we’re more than happy to help at @Hootsuite_Help. Our Community Department can give you more details as well if you tweet us at @HootClub.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/7-hootsuite-features-need-know/feed/0Community Tip: Public vs. Private, Pros and Conshttps://blog.hootsuite.com/community-tip-public-vs-private-pros-and-cons/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/community-tip-public-vs-private-pros-and-cons/#respondMon, 19 May 2014 14:00:04 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=61354Setting up social media channels is a great start to building a community. But it’s just that, a start. Once you’ve set up your channels, you’ll find there... Read More

]]>Setting up social media channels is a great start to building a community. But it’s just that, a start. Once you’ve set up your channels, you’ll find there are a number of things you’ll have to do to ensure you get the most value out of them for your goals.

Turning social media channels into a community is a good way to show results for your social media efforts. There are a number of decisions you’ll have to make when setting up an online community. One of the biggest is whether your community should be public or private. There are benefits to both, and questions you need to think about before you make a decision. In this Community Tip we detail the pros and cons to Public and Private communities and share best practices on how to set them both up.

Who Can See What’s Shared?

First, let’s define what we’re talking about when we say Public and Private Community.

A public community is where you can connect with customers who have interacted with your brand at any point in time, increase brand awareness and find out what the careabouts of your customers are.

A private community is an exclusive space, typically invite-only, where peers discuss ideas, content, and resources related to the community topic.

Here’s a good way to think about the difference: public communities are outward facing. Everyone from your competitors, to your boss, to your peers can see what you’re talking about. Private communities are accessible to a select group of avid fans or loyal customers. You can delve into a topic at depth in a private community, which often results in valuable feedback for your business.

Who can Participate?

Transparency is at the heart of public communities. They are a fantastic way to engage with anyone who is talking about your brand or product. You are more likely to discover fans for your community when you set it up publicly, and by setting up a public community you are giving them an easy way to find you.

Private communities are valuable because they are accessible only to a select group of avid fans or loyal customers. People often invest more effort into private communities, where they know they can connect with like-minded people. You can reward and encourage that investment by bringing in experts for the audience to engage with or sharing exclusive content. Members of a private community will give more—their time, their ideas—but they also expect more. If you set up a private community, be sure you’re willing to commit to it.

How Connected is the Group?

The level of engagement of a community will heavily depend on its brand or topic. If your community is set up around something that lots of people are passionate about, there’s a greater chance of the community being highly engaged. But not every business can easily inspire passion among customers and advocates. Popular consumer brands like Apple and Nike have an easier time organizing groups of people who care about their products than B2B brands and niche businesses.

In a private community, strong connections are built between those who are passionate about the community. If you are setting up a community around a topic that a small number of people are interested in, but care about deeply, a private community is for you. For instance a conference on how to sell mason jars may only draw a few hundred people, but those few hundred are deeply engaged in the topic and passionate. Invite mason jar salespeople to a place where they can discuss their techniques in a private forum and you’ll enjoy a haven of activity.

How Much Work Does it Take to Manage the Group?

Setting up either type of community takes time. Private communities take a significant amount of effort to gain momentum, which means you need to invest more in the beginning. You’ll find yourself posting the majority of content, asking most of the questions and generally instigating conversations. This should improve over time, but be prepared to invest some time at the get go. Public communities, on the other hand, are easier to get going as there is typically a group of people already discussing the topic or brand. You can leave a public community alone for a weekend with more confidence than you could a private community.

Start with the type of community that fits your business needs. If that’s public, when you start to notice your community is growing at a consistent rate and there are members that are far more active than others, it’s a good time to start thinking about offering them an area for private, targeted discussions. If you start with a private community and you’re finding that it’s starting to run itself, perhaps you want to expand your reach to the public. You’ll then be able to reach the public to build broader awareness to larger audiences while fostering deeper customer relationships in the private community.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/community-tip-public-vs-private-pros-and-cons/feed/0How Action Sports Superstars Manage Social Mediahttps://blog.hootsuite.com/action-sports-superstars-on-social-media/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/action-sports-superstars-on-social-media/#respondFri, 04 Apr 2014 14:00:16 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=59794It’s a challenge for all of us to manage our personal brands on social media. And big name athletes have much bigger brands, so they have bigger challenges.... Read More

It’s a challenge for all of us to manage our personal brands on social media. And big name athletes have much bigger brands, so they have bigger challenges. But athletes have a unique advantage when it comes to social media: they already have loyal, passionate fan bases, which can make it a lot easier to build a strong following. So what can we learn from how the best navigate those challenges to strengthen their following?

We are impressed with the online efforts of pro surfer Julian Wilson. Julian is personable on social, he understands the value of great visuals, and he’s not afraid to engage. We wondered where Julian learned his advanced social media strategies, which led us to get in touch with the Wasserman Media Group, the agency that manages his social media. Lee Schwemmer, who works with Zack Sugarman, takes the reigns for the strategy of athletes like Julian, Ryan Sheckler, a professional skateboarder, and Scotty Lago, a professional snowboarder. Lee and his team collaborate with athletes to drive a successful social media strategy and create results. Here are some of his tips, which can be used to strengthen your own online strategy.

1) Be Authentic

In the past, we have talked about how social media humanizes and personalizes teams and athletes, but Lee inspired us to take this one step further: “Never fake or force what you put out on social media. Fans will see right through it.”

In order to be successful online, sometimes the best policy is to go with your gut. When building a personal brand, you want it to be a reflection of yourself. While Ryan Sheckler’s Twitter feed has sponsor messages, you’ll find personal moments sprinkled throughout:

Insights into someone’s day-to-day activities often receive better engagement on social media than sponsor advertisements or cookie-cutter messaging. Fans might follow an athlete to get updates on recent wins or successes, but what they’re really looking for is their daily life. A social media account should have that human element.

2) Think Before You Tweet

Today, it’s easier than ever to post to social media. You can take a picture and post it on Twitter or Instagram in under six clicks on your phone. That’s less than 30 seconds.

With a process that quick and easy, and with the glamorous lives professional athletes enjoy, it can be tempting to share everything that pops to mind. Lee strongly warns his clients against this, because “you can never truly delete [anything] from the social media universe.” Even though the lifespan of a tweet is around 24 hours, the impression it leaves on those who see it can last much longer. Since it’s poor form to delete a tweet, be sure what your message is consistent with your values before hitting ‘Send Now’.

While your followers want glimpses into your everyday life, there is definitely a limit. Before you post something, put your phone or keyboard down and ask yourself, “Do people really want to see this?” and “Why am I posting this?” If you can answer both questions positively, by all means, post that #CakeFace birthday pic.

3) Engage, Engage, Engage

The tip that stands true for all social media users and platforms is to engage. Lee echoes this sentiment: “Don’t just talk at fans, remember to talk with fans and engage them on each platform.”

Julian Wilson often asks his fans questions or for their advice. He takes the time to respond as well:

It’s all well and good to say engaging on social media is key, but what are some tried and tested methods to engage? Set up search streams with keywords that your community uses, then join the conversation. Set up geo-targeted searches to find out what people are saying about you in certain areas. Show your appreciation for fans by sending them some swag. There are so many ways to turn online mentions into offline friendships with social media, give it a try and you’ll quickly find out!

Lee and his team use HootSuite to manage many athletes’ online profiles. The dashboard allows his team access to multiple social media platforms. From it he can ensure content is monitored while still providing the athlete the opportunity to give their profiles their own personal flair.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/action-sports-superstars-on-social-media/feed/0Join HootSuite at Social Business 2014 in Melbournehttps://blog.hootsuite.com/join-hootsuite-social-business-2014-melbourne/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/join-hootsuite-social-business-2014-melbourne/#respondMon, 03 Feb 2014 23:45:23 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=57216Social Business 2014 brings together executives, leaders and professionals from Australia’s most successful brands and organisations to focus on how to use social media to drive transformation. Australia’s... Read More

Social Business 2014 brings together executives, leaders and professionals from Australia’s most successful brands and organisations to focus on how to use social media to drive transformation. Australia’s premier social media event is designed for executives and marketing, digital, social, communications and HR professionals.

Join industry experts, business leaders and professionals at the Melbourne Recital Centre on February 18-19th. Register today at the Social Business website and as a friend of HootSuite, enjoy a 20% discount by using coupon code: HootSuiteSB14.

Don’t miss out as comedian Jordana Borensztajn kicks off an impressive line up of Keynote speeches from global thought leaders. Here’s a bit of what to expect:

Keynote Presentations

Brian Solis, Principal at Altimeter Group.

Brian Solis is a social media influencer and Principal at Altimeter Group. As one of Silicon Valley’s 40 under 40, Brian will explain why the future of digital business is about “shared experiences” that come from ever improving customer engagement on social channels.

Annabel Crabb, one of Australia’s best public speakers, is pioneering the push to bring new platforms of media to reporting. As the ABC Online’s Chief Political writer, Annabel will discuss the developing relationship between digital media and reporting.

Todd Sampson is the CEO of advertising agency Leo Burnett and co-founder of Earth Hour. As named by the Financial review, Sampson is one of the most influential advertising executives in the world. His presentation will focus on ‘The Power of Creativity.’

Lauren Anderson is the Director of Community for collaborativeconsumption.com, a concept that was named by TIME as one of the ‘10 Ideas That Will Change The World.’

Join HootSuite on the Ground

Join HootSuite’ s Regional Director, Strategic Accounts, Jeanette Gray at the conference and join the two following panels:

“Emergency Services/ Crisis Management – Case Study” (Feb. 19th, 2:45pm AEDT): A discussion on how social media can make emergency services more effective. Jeanette will discuss how social media helped emergency services in the crucial minutes after events like the Boston bombing or New York storms.

“Your Social Business ToolKit” (Feb 19th, 3:55pm AEDT): The panel will explore the most effective tools for managing, monitoring and engaging on social media.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/join-hootsuite-social-business-2014-melbourne/feed/0Powering a Nationwide Secret Santa Through Social Mediahttps://blog.hootsuite.com/new-zealand-post-secret-santa-2013/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/new-zealand-post-secret-santa-2013/#respondWed, 18 Dec 2013 12:30:00 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=56241How well can you know someone from their social media profiles? New Zealand is in the process of finding out. This Christmas, New Zealand Post is using Twitter... Read More

How well can you know someone from their social media profiles? New Zealand is in the process of finding out. This Christmas, New Zealand Post is using Twitter and the power of social media to host one of the largest Secret Santas ever.

Individuals from across the nation are sending gifts to strangers they know only through social media. Take a look at New Zealand Post’s brilliant initiative and learn how your organization can scale a social campaign in three easy steps.

How does it work?

In 2010, Kiwi Sam Elton-Walter had the idea of sending Christmas gifts to other Twitter users around the country. The idea was so successful that New Zealand Post stepped in to facilitate the movement. Three years later, thousands of Kiwis participate in New Zealand Secret Santa.

New Zealand Post is the sole owner of your personal details, ensuring your identity remains limited to the information in your Twitter profile. The campaign not only unifies a country, but is a first class example of how social media can help scale a large brand awareness campaign.

Tips for a successful social campaign

With the rise of social media, companies like New Zealand Post have had to adapt the way they do business. Letters have been replaced with Facebook messages, and postcards with tweets. New Zealand Post is now using Twitter to unite a country by building community around #NZSecretSanta. Here’s how they did it:

New Zealand Post employees working at Secret Santa HQ

Common goal

In order to successfully unite a country through social media, your campaign goal has to speak to the people. In the case of New Zealand, Kiwis are historically friendly and giving people, therefore sending gifts to strangers is not a big ask. Know your unique community and find an area of common ground that speaks to them.

Common platform

Be consistent in your use of social media. Contestants want to know where they can go to find information. If you have a Twitter account, an Instagram platform, a Facebook group and a Google+ Page, no one is going to know where to go to find the information they need. Over years of using the same social platform, #NZSecretSanta has established a reliable presence on Twitter. Don’t confuse your community by thinking more information is better. Inspire them by centralizing the information and allowing them to use it.

Common message

Come up with an idea that you can develop over time, but make it something that maintains its core message year to year. Sure, tactics you use to share your message might change over time, but if you echo the same message, it will be heard. When New Zealand Post took over the operation, they carried the message forward: “Spread the cheer of Christmas, one tweet at a time.”

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/new-zealand-post-secret-santa-2013/feed/04 Tips for Entrepreneurs From A Music Festival Founderhttps://blog.hootsuite.com/4-tips-for-entrepreneurs-music-festival-founder/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/4-tips-for-entrepreneurs-music-festival-founder/#respondSun, 08 Dec 2013 12:50:41 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=55698Something special is happening in New Zealand. For the last ten years, people have been converging on the town of Gisborne to be among the first in the... Read More

Something special is happening in New Zealand. For the last ten years, people have been converging on the town of Gisborne to be among the first in the world to usher in the new year. Entrepreneur Hamish Pinkham had a vision to create something special. That he has done.

Rhythm and Vines has evolved into one of the most anticipated music festivals in the world, but it hasn’t been an easy road. Pinkham and his team have combined a keen entrepreneurial spirit, a picturesque location with a unique marketing strategy to nurture their dream into a reality.

Here are a few tips for entrepreneurs that we took from talking to Rhythm and Vines that you can apply to your own dreams:

Find your niche

Pinkham saw two gaps in the New Zealand market. He realized there wasn’t really a place where people could celebrate the new year with a large group of friends in a secluded venue. He also noticed that Kiwis did not have a music festival that they could call their own. That’s why, in the summer of 2003, Hamish let his friends know that they would be gathering at a family owned vineyard in the town of Gisborne and listening to local musical talent. About a thousand people attended. Everyone echoed the sentiment that New Zealand needed something like this to celebrate the new year, music and friendship. That’s when Pinkham realised he had found his niche.

Have a vision

Photo courtesy Rhythm and Vines.

When planning what Rhythm and Vines would look like, Pinkham wanted to create something that was more than just about selling tickets. In his own words, he had a “vision for something premium, aspirational.” What was most important to the Rhythm and Vines crew was that they created an experience, not just a festival. They wanted to build something that attendees would hold on to as a lifetime memory. The event now incorporates camping, rides and a secret teepee that “only the most adventurous stumbled upon.” If you want people to remember the product or service you’re providing, make sure it’s an experience for them.

Let your community do it for you

The festival has grown from a one-day event with one thousand attendees its first year to selling out a three-day weekend with thirty thousand festival goers in its tenth. What’s their recipe for success? Let the community speak for you. When people started referring to the festival as R and V, rather than Rhythm and Vines, so did the organizers. When the community came up with the hashtag #RandV2013, that was the hashtag the promoters employed. When the community wanted to learn about how R and V came to fruition, the marketers created and shared the #BehindTheVines blog and video. There’s nothing more powerful than when your customers or users are brand advocates. We are big fans of that approach here at HootSuite, and Rhythm and Vines has done a great job of making that happen.

“Buckle up”

Photo courtesy of Rhythm and Vines.

The path to success is never going to be a smooth one. Expect bumps along the way. If you can meander your way through those bumps, you’re going to increase your chances of creating something special, successful and true to your vision. When we asked Pinkham what he would say to the people attending Rhythm and Vines this year, he said “buckle up and have fun.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to say someone could have given Pinkham, who was the recipient of the Young Tourism Leader Award for 2013, that advice just over a decade ago.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/4-tips-for-entrepreneurs-music-festival-founder/feed/046 Experts Vote HootSuite the Best Social Media Management Toolhttps://blog.hootsuite.com/the-best-social-media-management-tool/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/the-best-social-media-management-tool/#respondMon, 18 Nov 2013 14:50:25 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=54846We like to have our ear to the ground here at HootSuite. We’re constantly listening to feedback to learn how we can improve our product to better suit... Read More

We like to have our ear to the ground here at HootSuite. We’re constantly listening to feedback to learn how we can improve our product to better suit your needs. Because of this, we were over the moon to find this blog post that Adam Connell posted a few days ago. In it, he gathers feedback on the best social media management tools from 46 industry experts. If you’re looking to improve your social media campaigns, we’d recommend you have a read of the post. For now, here are the Cliffs Notes that John Paul Aguiar summed up quite nicely, “[HootSuite] is the one tool that I would honestly be lost without.”

The Basics

From the post, it’s clear that social media strategists need two things: a way to schedule their content and a way to monitor their social channels. HootSuite came out on top in both of these categories. Respondents, like Niall Devitt, praised the ability to schedule posts and set up multiple search streams from one Dashboard.

The Strengths

There are a number of benefits that come from having a reliable social media management tool. Shane Melaugh knows that efficiency is at the heart of any successful campaign. He appreciates that HootSuite allows him to achieve a lot in the world of social in a short amount of time, affording him time to focus on other facets of his business. Others in the post extoll the value of tracking conversations and mentions. Francisco Perez is fond of the fact that he can easily “manage multiple social accounts and ‘listen’ to a lot of relevant #hashtags, questions, etc.”

The Hidden Gems

Like any product, there are a few features in the HootSuite Dashboard that don’t get as much praise as they deserve. The HootLet, our Chrome plug-in, allows you to share content from any page on the web along with a multitude of other functions. It was only mentioned once (thanks Michele!) within the poll. You should check this feature out, we promise it will rock your social media world. HootSuite University, our social media education department, was the second unsung hero. If you want to learn how to use all the bells and whistles of the HootSuite dashboard, treat yourself to a course.

The Opportunities

HootSuite would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to Adam’s question “What are your top 3 tools for managing social media campaigns and why?” While HootSuite came out on top, we’re always looking for ways to improve our product. We’ll be pouring over this blog post for the foreseeable future, figuring out what experts need in a social media management system and how we can help make that happen.

We’d like to send a huge congratulations to our friends at Buffer who were mentioned in high regard as a top tool as well.

Want to get more out of your social media efforts, like the influencers mentioned above? Try HootSuite Pro, free for 30 days, and add more social networks and team members to your growing social media presence.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/the-best-social-media-management-tool/feed/03 Social Media Lessons from Pro Surfer Julian Wilson ~ Community Spotlighthttps://blog.hootsuite.com/julian-wilson-community-spotlight/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/julian-wilson-community-spotlight/#respondThu, 03 Oct 2013 13:50:23 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=52502Julian Wilson is an Australian professional surfer and ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. When he’s not surfing, he’s using the power of social media to promote... Read More

Julian Wilson is an Australian professional surfer and ambassador for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. When he’s not surfing, he’s using the power of social media to promote his personal brand, engage with his fanbase and use his influence to advocate for breast cancer awareness.

“With social media, everything is just right there in the palm of your hand and everything is so ‘in the now’. If they’re not talking about you, then you’re not very dangerous.” – Julian Wilson

By the age of 24, Wilson has become one of the most successful surfers in the world. He made his mark on competitive surfing when he won multiple world junior titles and invented the ‘Sushi Roll’ trick— all by the age of 20. After Wilson scored a perfect 10 at the 2012 US Open Championship, he was quickly sponsored by three of the biggest brands in sports: Red Bull, Nike and Oakley.

Don’t expect him to stop anytime soon, he recently cemented his ascent toward the top of the world rankings with his performance at the Hurley Pro this past Summer. Stay tuned to find out 3 ways you can reach a Julian Wilson level of social success.

How Does Wilson Power His Online Brand?

Wilson has an impressive social profile– over 55 000 followers on Twitter, nearly 100 000 likes on Facebook and a rapidly increasing 113 000 followers on Instagram. Although his boyish good looks help, Wilson makes a massive effort to stay active online. He tweets timely updates from his competitions, shares photos of his day to day life on the road and uses social platforms to bring himself closer to his fans.

Julian Wilson knows he wouldn’t be where he is without the fans. Image by Mr Price Sport.

3 Surf Lessons in Social Media

Julian Wilson personifies the concept of a social athlete. He masters the nuance of social branding by being personable, amplifying campaigns and being humble and respectful of the communities that got him to where he is.

Here are three lessons you can learn from Wilson when trying to attract a strong following on social media.

1. Make Them Love You

First and foremost, Wilson understands the importance of being personable when you are a public figure. He humanizes himself by sharing anecdotes of what is happening in his life, both on and off the wave. Whether that be what he is eating, where he is travelling on days off or just photos of his friends and family.

Instead of using his networks to only promote the latest competition or promotional product, Wilson uses social to share with his followers who he is and what he likes. In turn, people who want to be like him are attracted to his brand and what he stands for. Not to mention, Wilson’s savvy social media strategy makes him the perfect face for sponsorship.

2. The Power of Visuals

Wilson has found his biggest social success on visual platforms, like Instagram and Vimeo. To populate his Instagram account, he released a ‘Follow Me’ video on Vimeo. In just a week, he had over 15 000 views and now more than 37 000. In the short time since he adopted Instagram, he has amassed an incredible following.

Wilson uses the #TBT hashtag campaign to give his fans a glimpse of the star before fame. Childhood photos and embarrassing haircuts that make his fans feel closer to him as a person and friend. The latest addition to his Instagram campaign, #SequenceSundays, celebrates the skill of surfing photographers by montaging photos of Wilson performing difficult tricks.

On Vimeo, Wilson has uploaded over 50 videos of video eye candy for surfing fans and followers to watch repeatably. He also uses his powerful social media influence to bring viewers to his sponsorship videos on YouTube.

3. Give Credit Where It’s Due

Celebrity status doesn’t (usually) happen overnight, you have to claw your way to the top. Julian Wilson gives credit where it is due, his fans, his sponsors and his friends/ family. He takes gratitude to the next level, offering contest and giveaways on his Facebook page as a way to say thank you.

He stands behind causes that truly mean something to him, such as breast cancer awareness after his mother survived the disease. He understands his words and actions carry a huge influence and uses that to bring attention to important subjects.

When developing your social strategy, taking tips from Wilson’s online presence is a strong place to start. Be a human, be humble and appreciative of your followers and most of all, bring a healthy balance of real and professional to your online profiles.

]]>https://blog.hootsuite.com/julian-wilson-community-spotlight/feed/0Aussie Rules Football, Your Social Media Guide to the Grand Finalhttps://blog.hootsuite.com/australian-football-league-grand-final-2013/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/australian-football-league-grand-final-2013/#respondThu, 26 Sep 2013 19:00:43 +0000http://blog.hootsuite.com/?p=52530The Australian Football League has taken to social media to boost their brand. The League uses Twitter to promote the Grand Final — an annual Australia rules football match —... Read More

The Australian Football League has taken to social media to boost their brand. The League uses Twitter to promote the Grand Final — an annual Australia rules football match — as well as engage their fans, share live updates and document their prestigious award ceremonies.

The Grand Final game starts Saturday at 14:30 AEST (4:30 GMT).

The AFL Facebook page is a haven of social activity — with videos, pictures and thousands of fan fuelled discussions. They share weekly podcasts throughout the season to keep fans up to date with all the league happenings, while also giving them access to expert analysis.

We’ve put together your vital guide to following the Grand Final on social this weekend.

Grand Final Weekend

The Australian Football League runs the highest competitive level of Australian Football in the world and is a vital thread in the cultural fabric of Australia. The sport, conceived in 1858, is dynamic, stamina driven and unforgiving.

More than six million people have attended Australian Football League matches live in the last eight seasons, making it Australia’s most watched live sport. Fans travel from all over the country to barrack for their team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The final for the AFL between the Fremantle Dockers and Hawthorn Hawks is this Saturday and promises to be a great match. Here are a few tips to keep up with all the action before, during and after the event.

News has been shared between humans for centuries. Social media management helps organizations break news stories the second they happen, and these media outlets turn to HootSuite to accomplish those tasks.

HootSuite empowers media sources to share valuable, realtime information with followers all over the globe. Meanwhile, growing communities around popular topics and hobbies.